Thai army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha launched his coup on Thursday after rival factions refused to give ground in a struggle for power between the royalist establishment and a populist government that had raised fears of serious violence and damaged the economy.

General Prayuth set out his plans for the country on Friday, saying reforms were needed before an election could be held.

He also summoned hundreds of civil servants and told them he needed their help.

"I want all civil servants to help organise the country," he said.

"We must have economic, social and political reforms before elections.

"If the situation is peaceful, we are ready to return power to the people."

Group gathers to protest against military coup

Meanwhile, in the first show of defiance of military rule, a group of about 100 gathered in Bangkok to condemn the coup.

Who is Prayuth Chan-ocha?

Prayuth Chan-ocha studied at the Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School, Command and General Staff College, and the National Defence College of Thailand, as well as completing a Bachelor of Science at the Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy.

From 2002 to 2008, he held the positions of both Deputy Commanding General and Commanding General of the 2nd and 1st Infantry Division at the Royal Thai Army, as well as Deputy and Commanding General for the 1st Army Area.

In 2008, he was appointed the Chief of Staff for the Royal Thai Army, before eventually rising to Commander-in-Chief in October 2010.

A loyal supporter of the monarchy, General Prayuth is well known for his opposition to the Red Shirts. He has led the repression of the movement since 2009, including bringing a case against Red Shirts leader Jatuporn Promphan, for comments that were deemed disrespectful to the monarchy, which resulted in his imprisonment.

General Prayuth was heavily involved in the Royal Thai Army's 2006 coup which ousted the Thaksin government.

The coup, which was branded as restoring unity and establishing a sense of fairness, fuelled political unrest in Thailand over the next eight years.

General Prayuth's term in the Royal Thai Army is due to end in September.

Source: Bloomberg Businessweek, The Independent, BBC

The protest was against martial law and soldiers stood nearby. They later dispersed saying they would be back every night.

The military has censored the media, dispersed rival protesters in Bangkok and imposed a nationwide 10:00pm-to-5:00am curfew.

Ms Yingluck is the sister of Thaksin Shinawatra, a billionaire telecommunications tycoon turned politician who won huge support among the poor but the loathing of the royalist establishment, largely over accusations of corruption and nepotism. He was ousted as prime minister in a military coup in 2006.

Ms Yingluck was forced to step down as prime minister by a court on May 7 but her caretaker government, buffeted by more than six months of protests, had remained nominally in power, even after the army declared martial law on Tuesday.

General Prayuth was expected to meet King Bhumibol Adulyadej at the royal palace in Hua Hin, south of Bangkok, to explain the army's move.

The armed forces have a long history of intervening in politics - there have been 18 previous successful or attempted coups since Thailand became a constitutional monarchy in 1932.

Regular television schedules were suspended with all stations running military announcements interspersed with footage from the army's channel.

It showed sites, now cleared, that had been taken over in and around Bangkok by political groups since anti-government protests flared in November.

Other footage showed people going about their business in different places with some saying they welcomed the coup.

You have no doubt been hearing a lot about the Paris Agreement and know that it pertains to climate change, but are too embarrassed at this stage to ask for an overall explanation of what it's all about.